Awakened by Nightfall
by Zoe-M
Summary: What would of happened if one of the Titan's had a child, except this child did not appear until many thousands of years later into the iron age? How would the current god's react to this demi-god? And what would happen when Kronos re-appears? HIATUS
1. Once upon a star

[This chapter has been re-written and submitted on 01/04/09]

Hey all, this is my first fan fiction so please don't judge it too harshly. I'm not sure if it works well but it's up to you. Please review with constructive comments. Hope you like it!

P.S. Special thanks to Forestwater, my beta reader, for all their help :)

Zoe x

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From the epicentre of a lush green forest, where the God of Pan once lived, two figures emerged. The magnificence of the moon illuminated them, giving them a spark of hope – or a last goodbye, or perhaps both; we shall never know. The figures consisted of a dark-cloaked mistress and a young satyr with gleaming eyes; they were preparing a small bundle with protection to avoid the great peril in the near future. Who knew that such a small helpless bundle would be of such immense importance?

But to whom was it of great importance?

"Hurry, quickly, we have little time to spare," the mistress said. "We have to get this done _now."_ Never before had she been more terrified; but then again, never before had her life been so close to ending. She wouldn't _die_ -- not yet, anyway -- but she was seconds away from losing the most important thing in the world to her, and that was, in a way, worse.

"Just a few more minutes," the young satyr replied, fumbling with a large crystal. He placed the precious bundle inside, while his mistress directed every last ounce of her strength and wisdom into an amulet, and placed it on the bundle. He protected and shielded it with the essence of nature around him; it was not hard, not at all, for he was a bright satyr.

"I feel the last of my strength has left, and the others are approaching," she said, biting her lip and glancing around. The revolution could destroy her forever. Who knew when she may return?

_If _she ever returned.

She remembered her peaceful days as a simple goddess. How blissful it had been then. How she wished she could send herself back in time to relive those days . . . but she could not. She would soon be replaced and forgotten. This would be her last stand.

"There is still time! I will not let you both perish." The satyr played his pipes still faster, his large brown eyes focused on her face, following every move she made.

A wave of affection swept over her, and she put one hand on the satyr's head. "It's too late," she murmured. "Besides, it's the girl that matters -- _my_ baby girl. Keep her safe." She brushed the fingers of her free hand over the bundle, realizing with the first pangs of regret that this would be her last moments with the people she cared about -- with her daughter.

She reminded herself that this was not the end. Her daughter would have a great life; one better than she may have had herself. Despite everything she had lost, everyone she had given up, there was this knowledge.

And that was enough. For now.

"I won't let anything happen to her. I promise." He looked down at the bundle as well, feeling fear wash over him. He couldn't do this . . . but he had to. For the goddess and her daughter.

For Pan.

This would be his greatest quest. And a quest without danger was worse than none at all . . . wasn't it? But, even still, he would rather that danger would keep to a bare minimum.

"Goodbye, my friend. And thank you. I could not have saved her without you. But I fear my time is up. The revolution has begun. Pray you'll never stray too far from the light and remember not to let this moment pass. The mo–"

The ground shook beneath her feet, making her stumble forward. She grabbed onto the satyr's arm with a thin scream as a crack split the earth into two, widening until it pulled her down into the Underworld. Shrieking, clawing at the rock, she was dragged away from the light, never to see it again.

The satyr stared at the hole long after the goddess had disappeared, tears sliding down his cheeks. He didn't think he'd be able to move for a long time.

He was forced immobile, he couldn't think straight…he even thought he could hear the rustling of a bush nearby…but he was probably overreacting, no-one could have found out yet could they?

The bundle on the ground wailed, a pink and chubby arm sticking out of the folds of cloth. This reminded the satyr of what he had to do, and he tucked the girl's arm back under the blanket. "May the stars watch over you, little one," he said, "for I, Krotos, will make it be that none shall harm you." The comfort was more for himself than the little girl -- she was just a child, and didn't know what was waiting for her.

The maiden was surrounded in veils of loving protection and emerged into the skies and on into further galaxies.

His duty done, the satyr picked up his reed pipes yet again, playing a song of mourning for his fallen mistress and hope for the little girl who had been sent off to somewhere unknown, somewhere safe.

Perhaps someday he'd join her, but for now, he had other matters to deal with…

Up within the skies a star shrouded a spirit, capturing it whilst the great star "Sagittarius" was forever watching over it, until no longer needed. Who knows when the maiden will emerge?

Perhaps when the mother is close to returning.

Or maybe just when the earth needs her most.

But whatever happens, the maiden will live on for another journey. Though it might not take place for thousands of years. . . .


	2. Concealed by darkness

[This chapter has been re-written and submitted on 01/04/09]

Hi guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter, sorry for the delays – stupid school had to give us tonnes of coursework to write and exams to revise for.

I would like to say a special thanks to **sonofdemeter,** **ste11una ****and especially**** Forestwater **for all their help & support in my writing.:)

Oh and please, don't be afraid to say if you don't like it! Just make sure you say why and how I could improve. Reviews are the best gift a writer can receive – even though positive ones are nicer! Thanks again.

Zoe x

P.S. Sorry it hasn't got that much to do with the Percy Jackson series at the moment but it will do in later chapters!

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Concealed by darkness, I opened my eyes to find myself cradled inside a strange yet comforting rock; it seemed to emit some sort of peculiar energy, just being inside it filled my body with life. As I scrambled out of the rock, careful not to stumble and harm myself, I felt as if I had been awakened from a deep sleep. After I looked back once more at my cosmic chamber, I stepped onto the earth beneath me. Instantly the rock vanished. I blinked twice. Nothing. I couldn't believe my eyes. _So much for a back-up shelter,_ I thought.

But where _was_ I? I looked around and saw mountains upon oceans of sand, all baked until white-hot; I was suddenly relieved to be wearing my white dress and sandals. In the distance great towers loomed around, standing their ground as golden giants. To the left of me a great wide river pumped by, looking fast enough to sweep me away if I dipped my foot in. Next to the river -- well, more like _in_ the river -- was an oasis. It was split into two pools, with an earth pathway connecting the two and to my relief, the larger one had a few palm trees. Well, thank God there was something to call shelter; I was already beginning to feel parboiled.

I considered my options. There weren't many. It was either walk around in circles amongst the endless hot red sands in a vain attempt to reach civilization or sit by an oasis with shelter and fresh water.

I decided to go with the latter. Sue me.

I hurried towards the pools to find an unusual realization dawn on me: I didn't know who I was. The instant that paralyzing thought surfaced, I felt something cool and metal hit my neck, and a weight pull down on it. I glanced down and was almost blinded by the amulet dangling just above my breastbone. That was bizarre; I could have sworn it hadn't been there a few moments ago…

I untied the silver-like string to find it had a circular white pearl with intricate cerulean swirls entwined together. A stone, like white gold, but somewhat more valuable, framed it. And I knew one thing: I did _not_ want something this beautiful in my care. It was only a matter of time before I dropped it in the water or lost it in the sand. Besides, it wasn't mine. Lazy and clumsy I may have been, but I was no thief.

Maybe someone dropped it? And it . . . landed around my neck? _Nobody_ was around; who could have dropped it? And _why_ couldn't I remember anything?

I knew some things about me. I knew I was hot, tired, and not very good at holding onto things. I also knew that keeping something someone else owned was wrong, and I didn't like that.

Where had these little almost-entirely-useless snippets of information come from? There had to be something hidden in my head. All I had to do was unlock it.

_Fine,_ I told myself. _For the sake of argument, let's say that this necklace_ is _yours. There's no proof that it isn't, in any case, and there's no one else for it to belong to. What does it say about you? _I turned the necklace over and saw the word "Cynthia" engraved in the back.

_So your name's Cynthia. Great. You need a name, anyway, and this one's rather pretty. So go with it._

_I tugged on the chain, relieved when it didn't break. The amulet seemed to glow -- not a visible glow, but something less tangible. It was a glow I could feel -- and that immediately made me think of celestial bronze. It certainly seemed strong enough, but it wasn't bronze. Maybe it was celestial silver? Did something like that even exist?_

After a few minutes I turned my thoughts back to my surroundings. The shallow pools of the oasis seemed to draw me in, glittering in the sun in the most inviting way.

Small droplets from the pools splashed against my skin; I'd never felt anything so refreshing in my life. I marched closer to the pools, feeling tugged . . . _called._ Because of the new power and contentment of the waters I gazed upon it, searching for anything amazing, anything at all.

The first time I saw my reflection, I saw sleek blonde hair, pale skin, large blue eyes. My eyes told the story of age and, staring into them, I could finally see that they were too old for my face.

I saw the face of a porcelain doll, pretty but helpless. Naive and uncertain, looking for a _deus ex machina_ or a set of rippling muscles to sweep me away from all that I had known. That couldn't be me. I blinked and watched the doe-eyed girl in the pool do the same. I wasn't sure if I loved my reflection or was simply terrified by it.

I didn't want to be the damsel in distress! I wanted to be the knight. I didn't wish to be fighting for acceptance – acceptance of my personality, that is, not my looks. But to be beautiful, that alone was a gift. Unless, of course, it meant that I would never be taken seriously, forced to spend my entire life listening to dumb blonde jokes.

Of course, there was the ever-probable idea that I was reading too much into my reflection. It was nothing more than a face on the water. It wasn't me. I scowled, watching the reflection's twist into an ugly snarl. There. As long as I made this face my entire life, I'd be set. I'd be an idiot that couldn't appreciate a good thing when I had it, but I'd never have to listen to a lame come-on or a snide comment about beauty instead of brains.

As the sun sank behind the dunes, I felt the heat-induced fatigue fade, and the urge to explore tingling through my body. But now was not the time for exploring. Who knew what was out there?

For a while I lay under the stars, stunned by their beauty. How each star has its own story to tell. . . . It was fascinating. _One day I wish to learn them all. And when my time comes, I wish to spend eternity watching over in the cosmic. That's who I want to be -- not some pretty face or a girl with an amulet, but a warrior defending the fragile souls of the stars. A _beautiful_ warrior, mind. With longer legs._

Satisfied, I shut my eyes and drifted into the realm of dreams.

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_I was in a dark room where the only thing I could see was shadows. A foul stench consumed the room, accompanied by the odd scratching on the walls. In the corner, a light shone so dimly that it looked about to fade away. Huddled beneath the light was a figure bent over itself, its arms hugging its knees. I could only see the outline of a scarred cheek and one wide-open eye. But, man or woman, it looked terrified, as if whatever was making that smell and those sounds was seconds away from bursting in and ripping our flesh from our bones._

_And I had no doubt that it could._

_The figure mumbled something over and over, but I had no idea what it was saying. I tried to ask, to take its shoulders and beg it to speak in English, but I couldn't move. As if the person knew this -- or knew something even worse -- it began rocking back and forth, faster and faster._

_I tried with all my might to move closer, but my body was rigid. It would not cooperate with me and for that reason, I understood. I was not supposed to help. I was supposed to _see_._

_This helplessness fazed me. It was tougher than any task I'd ever attempted before. I willed with all my might for my body to move, but nothing happened._

_A sudden movement from the corner would have made me jump if I hadn't been turned into living stone. The person on the floor looked right at me and screamed. The face was too covered in ugly red scars for me to tell what sex it was, but that didn't matter. All I knew was that it was petrified, and probably had reason to be. One of its eyes was clawed shut, and the other was bloodshot was teary. More than that, though, it was tortured. It covered its white face once more and began to sob. I tried to step forward and touch its shoulder, give some sort of comfort that I wouldn't do anything to it, but I still couldn't move._

_That's when I saw the shadow fall over me, making a grotesque shape on the floor. I realized what the poor shell of a human on the floor had been screaming about. It wasn't me._

_It was what had been behind me._

_I wanted to be free. I puffed and panted and fought harder than I realised possible. And the last thing I can remember was that blood-curdling scream; the scream that will forever echo from my nightmares. Taunting me until I gave in, until all hope was lost._

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Okay, that was it. Hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to review! :)

Zoe x


	3. Double Trouble

From re-reading my previous chapters I've realised that perhaps I have hinted too strongly on whom Cynthia's godly parent is. But, maybe that doesn't matter, because this character will go through a journey utterly unique to those of other characters in Rick Riordan's original 'Percy Jackson' series. I also realise that none of the characters mentioned in the series have appeared yet in my fanfics – they will later on in my fanfic, promise!

I would like to say a special thanks to my new beta reader 'Forestwater' for all their help with my fanfic. I really appreciate it :)

Reviews are greatly appreciated, especially constructive criticism. Flames are laughed at and gushing is always wonderful, but if you have anything to suggest improvement please let me hear it.

:) Thanks for taking your time to read my fanfic and I hope you enjoy it!

Zoe x

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I woke in a cold sweat, frightened deeply by what I had dreamt the night before. My vision was hazy and my back, sides, and head hurt – I'd hit the rocks pretty hard trying to wake up. It had been a long time since I'd fought that hard to escape a nightmare, but that had been one of the worst ever. It was horrible.

Forcing my eyes open, I felt as if I were attempting a marathon with two donkeys on my back. I sensed a presence around me -- three, to be exact, and each accompanied by sickeningly sweet giggling…

I don't know how exactly I knew they were there – other than their annoying giggling that is, but somehow I just knew.

Three girls appeared out of nowhere. The one closest to me was sitting cross-legged on the sands. She had dark chestnut hair gliding down her back, with deep olive skin to match. The second shared her sister's dark complexion, but instead of long dark locks, her hair was cut into a bob. The third looked nearly identical to her sisters, but she had soft curls framing her face and green eyes. She seemed to emit some kind of high spirit around her, and you could tell it was that same spirit burnt fiercely in her heart. She immediately gave off the impression that she was their leader.

"Oh my gods! Look at what we've found!" The long-haired one said in a high-pitched voice.

"Isn't she pretty!" the second exclaimed, reaching forward and stroking my cheek. I gasped and wrenched away.

"She _must_ be a half-blood; those locks are just simply divine." Though her comments were just as vapid as her companions', the girl with high spirit's expression was thoughtful, and that somehow made her seem less shallow.

"Let's give her a makeover! Maybe that Percy would take a fancy to her; she's much prettier than that Annabeth girl…"

They started to poke and prod me as if I was a human guinea pig. One pulled something through my hair and the other two grabbed my toes and worked on -- I grimaced -- painting them pink.

"Excuse me, but who _are_ you?" I asked, thoroughly annoyed at that point; this had not been the wake-up call I'd been hoping for. Besides, the last thing I wanted was a makeover.

"Oooh! Touchy, are we?"

The second sighed and, shaking her head, she remarked, "Something must be done with her."

"No, no, NO!" I screamed. "Nothing must be done, just leave me alone! Or, if you're going to stick around and piss me off, make yourselves useful and tell me how to get out of here." I struggled free from their vicelike grips.

The girl with the high spirits seemed to take pity on me, and decided to introduce herself. "I'm Adella, but you can call me Ella if you'd like." She smiled. "These are my sisters, Attina and Alana." She gestured to them, and they at least had the grace to look a little shameful. "Sorry if we bothered you, but it's been so long since we've seen any half-bloods – and you're just so _pretty!"_ She grinned, "Oh, and welcome to Egypt."

Three sets of eyes gleamed at me with delight. I stared at them for a moment, mouth hanging open in a decidedly _un_pretty way. Egypt? Well, it explained the fascination, anyway; I was probably one of the few blonde girls east of Germany.

"Okay, we'll go with that. . . . Remind me again how you three got here? There's no civilization for miles . . . wait." Something hit me, and I almost slapped myself in the forehead for missing it. "Back up . . . and _what_ did you just call me?"

"Don't be so silly!" one of them giggled. "We're nereids, and wherever there's water, we are also."

"And we called you a half-blood," Attina added.

"Which means you're a daughter of the divine," Alana continued.

"And the real question is . . ."

"What are _you_ doing here?" they chorused.

I had the presence of mind to snap my mouth shut, but couldn't manage anything more. I'd been thrown off by their obnoxious habit of finishing each others' sentences, and even if that hadn't confused me, the pure nonsense they were spouting sure did. Especially since I couldn't answer their question.

What _was_ I doing here? All I could remember was that comforting rock…

They decided to leave me to ponder for a few moments and the next thing I knew, they were talking to a floating head.

I'm dead serious. One minute they were just barely in my peripheral vision, muttering to themselves and tossing a coin into the air, the next there's a bright flash of light and a giant holographic head's blathering on to them like it had been there the whole time!

Which it hadn't. I may have been exhausted and in pain, but I would have noticed a floating head. . . . I think.

They must have been crazy. Either they were crazy or _I_ was, and I did not want to consider myself crazy. Or perhaps they were on some sort of Egyptian drugs -- I'd read something about that in a magazine. Or saw it on TV. Or something…

I shook my head and heard the odd murmurings of "camp" and "cats." Could this get any stranger? I mean, camp and cats . . . how . . . interesting. If interesting's the word I wanted, which I don't think it was. Maybe "twisted," or "AAAAHHH! THAT HEAD'S TALKING ABOUT CATS!" would be more appropriate.

They turned back to me, re-plastering smiles on their faces. "What?" I asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"How would you like to come exploring with us?" Attina asked.

"It would be so much fun!" Alana squealed.

"Um . . ." I pondered; should I go with them? They seemed like an okay bunch – well, the annoying giggling I could have lived without. They could be dangerous, but then again, little was more dangerous than being alone in the desert. My craving for a decent meal was what changed my mind, truth be told. I agreed, but only because they promised no makeovers.

"Yet," one of them added once they thought I was out of earshot.

I started to trek along the cool red sands when I realised we weren't _walking_: we were canoeing. Oh, of course! Silly me! Why _wouldn't_ we canoe in the desert? They gave me a few quizzical looks as I started back towards them – in the right direction this time -- but I ignored them.

"Did you think we were going to walk all the way there?" Ella asked with raised eyebrows.

"No. I just wanted a better view of the pyramids," I lied.

With yet another raised eyebrow, she brushed it off and led me towards the canoe. Still feeling a little stupid, I sat down in the canoe with as much dignity as I could muster (which wasn't a lot). Instead of meeting the girls' curious faces, I studied the boat. It was beautifully carved, light and hollow, with waves carved into its sides and shells encircling it like a girdle. I loved the way it seemed to caress the waters like two long lost lovers; like Hercules and Megara. I'd always liked to swim. To be able to move freely amongst the waters –with no barriers; it was bliss itself. I traced my fingers against the smooth outlines of the canoe, losing myself amidst its trance.

Lovely or not, I realised there were only enough room in this canoe for three people…and there were four of us. Ella must have noticed my concerns because she turned to me and said, "Don't worry about that. We have other methods of travelling. Besides, I need to talk to Lexia about something… so I'll catch up with you guys later." She paused. "You'll be all right with 'Tina and 'Lana, right?" Her eyes landed on her sisters sternly; she seemed worried they might pull something behind her back. But I didn't want to cause any more trouble, so I just nodded meekly. She smiled back, gave her sisters a menacing glare, and dove into the Nile, leaving me stranded with two mischievous nereids…

"Ready?" Alana asked with an innocent grin that made my blood run cold.

I suddenly wished I was anywhere but in this boat. I started to say something along those lines, but Attina pushed off the shore before I could open my mouth.

The canoe glided across the water fast enough to make my stomach turn if I tried to look at the shore. I focused my attention on ignoring both the speed and the girls, but then felt guilty. They were probably only trying to be nice. It wasn't like they were monsters or anything. . . .

I looked behind me and was about to apologise for my behaviour when I noticed they had disappeared, leaving me floating along the Nile with no clue where I was supposed to go. Were they mad enough just to abandon me here? Or had . . . something . . . taken them? The river was covered in a thick blanket of mist that not only cut sight down to six inches in front of my nose but also pressed against my eardrums, blocking out most noise.

Was there a monster in the water that had kidnapped them? And if there was, what did that mean for me?

Something hit the canoe, knocking me sideways and nearly into the water. I held on the canoe with as much strength I could muster. Wham! The canoe was hit from the back this time, and I let out a gasp that was almost a scream. My breathing began to climb towards hyperventilation as sweat trickled down my spine. I knew nothing about self-defence, and even less about shark attacks. Yeah, I know -- a shark in the middle of the desert? But I was terrified and alone, and those conditions are ideal for ridiculous fears. Had someone told me the river was crawling with reanimated corpses, I would have believed him.

With my remaining strength I clung on when the monster charged into the canoe once more, knocking my teeth together with a clatter. If I'd been screaming, I would have bitten my tongue off. Either out of terror or whiplash, the edges of my vision were growing black and fuzzy, and despite my best intentions to keep my tongue intact, I was screaming. I was screaming, and I was about to die.


	4. Fiend or Friend?

This chapter is dedicated to my friend Hannah for all her support in the previous couple of weeks.

I would like to say a big thanks once again to my awesome beta reader 'Forestwater'. :D

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson series. However most the characters and events are my own so please, be original and don't copy them.

Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfiction :)

Zoe x

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Within moments my hands seemed to retaliate instinctively to protect my face. I thought for a moment I could feel a strange tingling sensation from the palms of my hands, but it was gone before I could do more than wonder about it. My hands left my face to grip the sides of the boat as it rocked again; my fingernails dug into the wood to the quick, and I knew that would hurt later, but I certainly didn't care now. I crammed my eyes shut and curled up into as small a ball as I could make. After a few moments, the canoe stopped rocking. I loosened my death-grip on the sides of the boat, feeling my fingernails scream in protest, and lifted my head.

The mist had cleared. I could see as far as two miles downriver, and either bank was clear as day. And speaking of the bank . . . two very annoyed nereids sat on the riverbed, rubbing their heads and scowling.

For a moment I was confused. Where was the fiend? Then it dawned on me. Why those devious little . . . ARGGH! I knew I shouldn't have trusted them.

I flung my legs over the side of the canoe and splashed over to them, a thousand angry words on the tip of my tongue just waiting -- no _begging_ -- to be unleashed on those horrid little demons. But they beat me to it.

Ella had rushed over with a stern-looking girl, whose eyes were deep-set under a broad forehead and thick, dark eyebrows trimmed into angry check-marks. Her mane was blacker than onyx and was tied into a tight ponytail. She was the kind of girl who would always look angry, even when she wasn't.

"You didn't have to push us so hard. We were only messing around," the nereids moaned in irritating unison, rubbing their heads and looking innocently at their fellow sister Ella. Pffft! Stupid nereids! Any idiot could tell they were lying!

"Why you -- ! You have the _nerve_ to start accusing me? I didn't even touch your slithery little bodies," I spat, sloshing up onto the riverbank and glaring down at them.

The girl Ella had brought over immediately cracked up, though her facial features never softened any. I spared a confused glance for her -- what was so funny? -- before returning my attention to the little snake-sisters.

"What were you two_ thinking?"_ Ella glared at her sisters and began to pace madly. "I told you specifically not to do this, _especially_ not after what happened last time…" A pang of remembrance hit her; she grimaced and shook it off.

She turned back to me. "I'm so sorry . . . uh. . . . Sorry, I seemed to have forgotten to ask your --"

"It's Cynthia," I said, cutting her off.

The girl who had accompanied her immediately looked at me; she looked me up and down as if she were sizing me up, obviously taking in that I was small, scrawny, and _blonde_. Oh joy, hear comes the blonde jokes. I grimaced.

Well, at least I'm not some sort of . . . I looked her up and down, searching for some sort of flaw. I'm not. . . . The girl grinned and leaned forward, the muscles in her arms and legs flexing.

I'm not . . . strong. I glanced down at my small, pathetic arms. They looked like wet noodles compared to this girl! And she knew it; I'd bet anything that she knew it very well.

"Hello? Cynthia, anybody there?" Ella said in frustration, waving a hand in front of my face. Oops! I blushed.

This just seemed to make the girl laugh even harder.

The two nereids that had _purposefully_ tried to sink me were trying to sneak off, but Ella spotted them -- she must have eyes in the back of her head or something. I shuddered at the thought; I wouldn't want her for a teacher.

Ella reinstated her position of the leader by yelling at her . . . sisters -- you know, even though they look alike, they're _nothing_ alike.

The girl who had accompanied her intrigued and yet infuriated me. She decided to approach me -- probably to begin taunting me, I thought cynically. It might have been unfair, but there was something about this girl that I didn't like.

"So you're Cynthia." It wasn't a question.

"No, I'm _Mary flaming Poppins_." I said sourly.

She laughed. "Well, okay then, _Mary."_ She glanced back towards the canoe and back at me. "Mind telling me what just happened?"

"What's there to tell? Nereids are annoying."

"I'd have to agree with you there, but they're not all bad," she said, glancing back at Ella with an almost tender expression (I say "almost" because with this girl's face, it was hard to tell).

"Whatever." I couldn't share her charity. Nereids were horrible little monsters, and even the nice ones could be difficult.

"Trust me, Ella's cool." She seemed to get my "Yeah, right" expression because she grinned again. "Besides, if you don't trust me, how are you going to get to camp?"

What was she talking about? They never said anything about any camp. . . . I gave her a quizzical look.

"Exactly. Come on." She grabbed my arm and dragged me away. I tugged, trying to escape her grasp, but my noodle arms were no match for this girl's grip.

"Firstly, why should I trust you? And secondly, who the heck _are_ you?"

She laughed again -- this annoying giggling habit they have was really getting on my nerves. At least hers wasn't so ultrasonic, but still, it was damn annoying.

"I'm Lexia." She grinned _again _(what was up with the constant grinning? Was she just constantly amused by everything?), then leaned in closer and whispered tauntingly, "You really shouldn't trust me." She winked, and left it at that.

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I don't know why I went with her – maybe because I just didn't know what to think anymore or simply out of fear; Mother Nature wasn't always gentle.

But, what I do know is, I was exhausted. My energy supplies were depleted. My body was limp and jelly-like. It was as if I had just swam 200 lengths without a break. But still I dragged my feeble body along, wanting to make a good impression on this girl.

The sun continued to roast the reddish-brown sands beneath my feet and parched my throat to rough sandpaper. The ripples within the dunes raged like an ocean battling the sky. The winds picked up as the sun beat down, forcing me to shield my eyes.

Lexia noticed my discomfort and, for some bizarre reason unknown to me, decided to be kind. She passed me her waterskin, from which I drank greedily, quenching my avid thirst and soothing the irritated tissue as it ran down my throat. I passed it back to her. Relief stuck my body once my thirst was quenched, but hunger, still ravenous, bit at my limbs.

A while later I saw someone move their lips in attempt to communicate with me, but all I heard was muffled words. I grunted in response. I assumed we had arrived as a sleek white stone building was placed in front of me. It had ribbed columns and cautious guardians frozen into stone around it. I walked through the archway, oblivious to its beauty. And, seeing cool shades and comfort, I instantly flopped onto a sofa, ignoring all else. I needed rest. Just before I lost consciousness, I noticed a shadow of a tall masculine figure arch over me. But I didn't care; it was too hot and I was exhausted for anything besides a mild concern. I was tugged into unconsciousness and on into a more peaceful sleep.


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